The labour force participation rate of individuals aged 15 years and above was 44.1%

The number of individuals participating in the labour force in Palestine was 1,348,600 in the 4th quarter 2017; 849,700 in the West Bank and 498,900 in Gaza Strip.

The labour force participation rate in the West Bank was 44.0% and 44.1% in Gaza Strip, the gap in the participation rate between males and females in Palestine still very big where it reached 68.6% for males compared with 18.8% for females.

24.5% the unemployment rate among labour force participants

Using ILO standards, the number of unemployed was 329,900 in the 4th quarter 2017; distributed as 213,100 in Gaza Strip and 116,800 in the West Bank.

The unemployment rate in Gaza Strip was 42.7% compared with 13.7% in the West Bank in the 4th quarter 2017, and the unemployment rate for males in Palestine was 19.5% compared with 43.0% for females.

The highest unemployment rate in the 4th quarter 2017 was 40.7% among youth aged  20-24 years. For years of schooling, the highest unemployment rate among females with 13 years of schooling and more was 48.2%.

The number of the employment in the local market increased between the 3rd quarter and 4th quarter 2017

The number of employed in the local market increased from 868,000 in the 3rd  quarter 2017 to 889,200 in the 4th quarter 2017. The number of employed individuals in Gaza Strip increased by 6,700 employed, also the number of employed individuals in the West Bank increased by 14,500 employed.

The services sector was the biggest employer in the local market with 33.3% in the West Bank and 54.3% in Gaza Strip.

The public sector employed 21.2% of those in employment; 36.2% in Gaza Strip and 15.3% in the West Bank.

The average daily wage for wage employees in the West Bank was 102.0 NIS compared with 62.0 NIS in Gaza Strip.

The average weekly hours worked by wage employees in the West Bank was 44.1 hour in the 4th quarter 2017 and 44.4 hour in the  3rd  quarter 2017. The average number of days worked per month was 23.2 and 23.1 working day in the 4th and 3rd quarter 2017 respectively.  The average number of hours worked per week in Gaza Strip was 37.4 and 38.3 hour per week in the 4th quarter 2017 and 3rd quarter 2017, and the average number of days worked per month was 22.9 and 23.0 working day in the 4th quarter 2017 and 3rd quarter 2017 respectively.

Number of employed in Israel and Israeli settlements was 126,600 in the 4th quarter 2017

The number of employed in Israel and Israeli settlements was 126,600 in the 4th quarter 2017 compared with 128,700 in the 3rd quarter 2017. Of these; 71,800 had a permit, 43,600 worked without any permit and 11,200 had an Israeli identity card or foreign passport.

The number of employees in the Israeli settlements decreased to 22,600 in the 4th quarter 2017 from 23,400 in the 3rd quarter 2017.

67.1% of employed in Israel and the Israeli settlements worked in the construction sector.

The average daily wage for the wage employees in Israel and the Israeli settlements reached 232.1 NIS in the 4th quarter 2017 compared with 233.3 NIS in the  3rd quarter 2017.

The average number of hours worked per week in Israel and the Israeli settlements reached 41.8 hour in the 4th quarter 2017 compared with 41.9 hour in the  3rd quarter 2017.

The average number of days worked per month reached 19.6 working day in the 4th  quarter 2017 compared with 20.2 working day in the  3rd quarter 2017.

Employment Status in the 4th quarter 2017

70.2% of employed individuals are wage employees; 66.3% in the West Bank and 80.2% in Gaza Strip.

18.2% of employed individuals are self- employed; 20.0% in the West Bank and 13.4% in Gaza Strip.

7.0% of employed individuals are employers; 8.4% in the West Bank and 3.4% in Gaza Strip.


4.6% of employed individuals are unpaid family members; 5.3% in the West Bank and 3.0% in Gaza Strip.


Percentage Distribution of Employed Individuals by Employment Status, Q4-2017


Working benefits for wage employees in the private sector
25.4% of wage employees are hired by contract (9.0% of them with limited period and 16.4% with unlimited period), compared with 50.2% hired without any contract, and 24.4% of wage employees are hired by verbal agreement.
22.1% of wage employees contribute to a pension fund, 22.5% have annual paid leave and 36.2% of wage employees women have paid maternity leave.

17.6% of employed individuals in Palestine are affiliated to a workers vocational union; 13.0% in the West Bank and 29.2% in Gaza Strip.

37.3% of wage employees in the private sector received less than the minimum wage (1,450 NIS) in Palestine.

In the West Bank 17.3% of wage employees in the private sector received less than minimum monthly wage, about 41,000 wage employees with average monthly wage 1,070 NIS.

In Gaza Strip the percentage of wage employees in the private sector who received less than the minimum monthly wage was 78.6% about 90,300 wage employees with average monthly wage 726 NIS.

Child Labour
3.2% of children aged 10-17 years in Palestine  are employed; 4.5% in the West Bank and 1.4%  in Gaza Strip.


Data collection of labour force survey  was funded by the European Union.